Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018 - March

This is the March installment of the Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018.

The challenge this month is for Number 9. My number nine is On Ringo Lake. It was a risk putting it on the Challenge list, but otherwise I may never finish it. 

I've been working on it between other projects. I pieced all the blocks. This shows them laid out without sashing. 

I finished all the sashing early in the month. Time to get to the assembly.

On point blocks are a challenge. On point, with sashings is even more challenging. I sure hope all those sashings are in the right spot!

I really like how my quilt differs from hundreds of others. Next step: quilting!

I loaded it up and got quilting. I wanted the quilting to run down the length of the quilt, so I loaded it on the frame so a long side is parallel with the rails. 

The back is a great diagonal hash that hides the thread. I used these wavy lines as an all over design. I didn't want the quilting to compete with the piecing. Not that the piecing is perfect. Just that with all that piecing seeing quilting detail won't be easy.

I used So Fine #50 from Superior Threads for the top thread and Omni in a coordinating gray for the bobbin thread. 

I embroidered the label onto a piece of leftover green fabric. Normally I embroider the label directly onto the backing fabric, but I remembered to do it after I had loaded the backing, batting, and top onto the frame. The label came out great, so no loss there. I had about a yard of the green print so it was the perfect choice for the binding. The lighting in this photo makes the fabric look much more yellow than it is in person. 

In this picture the label looks closer to the right color. Labeled and bound makes that a finish!

I wonder what's next on the Get It Done UFO Challenge? Because I'm ready. 

Charity Quilting

This past week I've spent a bunch of time on getting charity quilts quilted. I have a few that have waited a long time to become quilts.

This simple panel quilt was quick.

I pieced this one using some odd-sized bricks leftover from another project.

My meander has been getting a workout.

Fun tumbler quilt.

I'll take these back to Annapolis Quilts for Kids in April for binding.

2018 Charity Quilt Count: 24

Find your local Quilts For Kids by finding your local chapter on the Quilts for Kids website.

Green Hour

This quilt is on my list for the Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018. It is number 1 on my list. I'm sure I failed to finish some other project when I pulled it out to work on it, but at least it is done. 

As I've said before, I don't usually have backing fabric on-hand. I picked up the two green prints from Spring Water Designs. They were on the discount shelf and I thought they would be the perfect backing for this quilt. The cream print in the middle was a leftover from a wide backing that worked to make the two cuts of green long enough to be backing for this quilt. Making a backing like this costs more than just buying the wide backing, but the leftovers are more interesting.

I even remembered to embroider the label onto the backing before I loaded it onto the frame (this happens more than I care to admit).

Loaded and ready for quilting. I loaded it so one long edge is along the top of the frame so I could do the wood-grain quilting the length of the quilt. For more about the construction of the blocks for this quilt, check out this post.

Here is back of the quilt after quilting. I always end up with way more knots in my wood grain than others, but I really like the texture. Check out Angela's quick video on quilting the wood-grain texture.

I used scrappy binding on this one, too. Because scrappy binding makes everything better.

Charity Quilting

Last weekend I grabbed the stack of quilted charity quilts (five total) and headed to Annapolis Quilts for Kids. I dropped off these little quilts for binding.

I also picked up a couple more finished tops for quilting. 

On Sunday I loaded up and got quilting. 

Two more charity quilts ready for binding.

2018 Charity Quilt Count: 19

Find your local Quilts For Kids by finding your local chapter on the Quilts for Kids website.

Knitting Update

I haven't done one of these in a little while, so I figured it was about time.

First up, is my ugly sweater. I'm working on a (pattern: Just the Right Angle) cardigan that will use up a bunch of yarn Aunt Betty gave me. Or, that's the plan. I'm going to put several different colorways together without much care for matching. I'm calling it my ugly sweater. Right now, I'm working on the sleeves before I move on to the body of the sweater. So far I have cream, blue, and brown in both solids and variegated yarns. 

Next is a brioche hat made with two contrasting colors of Knit Picks Swish worsted. I wanted to practice some simple brioche before moving on to more detailed designs. This is the Brioche Basic Beanie.

There is at least one mistake about six rows back that is just going to stay where it is. 

This is the pre-blocked version of a Linus Shawl I made with a couple balls of unknown fiber.

I blocked it to take out some of the point and I think it is going make a great gift.

I have about a hundred other projects I want to make but I'm trying to keep the list of active projects around three at a time.

On Ringo Lake

It's been a while since the last update on my On Ringo Lake mystery quilt.

It was chosen as the Get it Done UFO Challenge quilt for March, so I've been trying to get it as close to done as possible before the end of March. I finished all the sashing units and then had to make a decision on how I was going to orient them in the quilt.

Since I changed up almost half of the blocks to make true alternate blocks, and changed the colors, there was room for some play. I decided to use them to extend the alternate block instead of the primary block. I really like the effect. Each diagonal row was an adventure in sashing. The scrappy is there, but a little controlled.

I did manage to get all the rows pieced together. I really like this one, even if it isn't a quilt I would have chosen if it wasn't a mystery. I just love mysteries. This one was a great test of my patience and my skills.

Next is to get it quilted. I wonder if I can do that by the end of the month.

Quilt Show: Southern Comforters Quilt Guild

Last Saturday I attended the Southern Comforters Quilt Guild Show.  I'm sorry to admit that I rarely take photographs of the quilts at the quilt show. Often there are strict rules about photographing the quilts and it is just easier if I don't take photos. That way I don't have to worry about failing to give proper credit.

I found some fabrics, a tabletop ironing board, and a quilt book in the From the Attic section (destash items from guild members to benefit the guild), I spent a total of $5.50. I also discovered Brediculous Yarns. I couldn't resist this skein of DK in the colorway Black Cat. 

Just Llamas by Wendy Allen.

This quilt was too cute to fail to share. Aren't they darling! Pattern: Mama Llama Love.

Dice Bags

Sometimes I need a quick project. Something that doesn't take much time but makes me feel like I've accomplished something. That something was a pair of dice bags.

If you have a gamer in your life, are a gamer, or know someone that really wants a small bag, I recommend you check out this free pattern from Dragon Chow. Lindsay has shared this pattern under a creative commons 3.0 license. It is a great project to use up about a fat quarter of fabric and come away with a great little bag.

The cord is from the local big-box craft store sold to make survival bracelets. The cord locks I purchased from Strapworks.com. Strapworks is also a great source for bag hardware and straps (duh!).

If you would like to buy a dice bag, I have listed a few in my Etsy shop.

Block Lottery: Tulip Time

This is my next installment of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild block lottery. This time we're using the free tutorial by Samelia's Mum to make applique tulips. The pattern is called Tulip Time.

I determined how many blocks I could get out of one width of fabric cut. The answer was six blocks so that's how many I made. I traced the shapes onto my fusible (like Pellon 805 Wonder Under) and cut them out with a little bit of extra room.

The background is light gray to fit with the coordinators request. I was pleasantly surprised to learn each of these shapes will fit onto a 5" charm square. You can even get two of the leaf/stem bits to fit onto a single 5" charm. It was a great time to go through my stack of charms and pick a few to work with.

Charity Quilting

This is a charity quilt top made by another member of the Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

The modern prints are bright and fun. 

I decided to use a meander in the background but wanted to make the stars pop. This was the result. 

I really like how this one turned out. I've folded it up to hand over to another member of Annapolis Quilts for Kids for binding. It really is a team effort. 

2018 Charity Quilt Count: 17

2017 Baltimore MQG Mystery Quilt

This is the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild 2017 Mystery Quilt. The first clue of the 2018 mystery is going to be handed out this month and I wanted to work on the 2017 mystery quilt so I wouldn't feel so guilty about starting the new one.

I spent a bunch of time thinking about how to quilt this one. The stars wanted their own quilting and that dark orange strip really wanted the right color thread. I don't always do custom quilting but when I do it seems to take forever.

I think the texture is perfect! In hindsight, I likely could have quilted it all with the light gray thread I used for the background and the stars.

Now for some binding! The binding is made up of leftover dark orange and more than a few strips of the blue used for the stars.

I've named this one Royal Point. Quilted and bound! Just in time to go to the next meeting of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild. 

This quilt is number 12 on my Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018 list.

Remembrance

I've been working on this quilt for what seems like forever. This quilt is a recreation of a family quilt given to my Darling Husband when he was still a small child. That quilt lived on our bed for the first few years of our married life. Even then, it was pretty worn.

I wanted to use the block in combination with a growing stack of 1930s reproduction prints to reacreate the quilt for his sister. This quilt is the result.

This quilt is much larger than the original. That quilt was something appropriate for a twin or a full. This quilt is more appropriate for a queen bed. Of course, that complicated the purchase of white batting, but I found some Quilter's Dream in white at Spring Water Designs.

I wanted the quilting to provide stability but didn't want to do custom quilting. I went with the swirl flower as an all-over motif. Once washed this beauty will be so snuggly!

The piecing is the real star in this quilt.

My accordion-folded binding ready to go. Making binding is a relatively quick project. Something I can fit in on a worknight.

I attached the binding by machine because I want this quilt to be used up, just like its predecessor. I don't think quilts should be put away for a rainy day, or for safe-keeping. I think quilts deserve to be used.

One last close up.

This quilt is number 10 on my Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018 list.